My condolence to Rick's closests.

I seem not to be the only one whose joining MC is much on "this character Fielding" (as Joe put it on some thread) to blame. I sure did enjoy his tone of voice from the very first post of him I read!

Last May I had made up my mind to suggest to Sari Kaasinen (former Värttinä member, now, a.o, the artistic director of Kihaus Festival in Rääkkylä, Fin), that she should try to get Rick 'over the waters' one day to perform and make a workshop there. Before starting typing e-mail, I opened the MC with Rick's health update thread on top! It made me sad, because somehow I felt very strongly then that it was never to be.

AKS